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Fishermen Face Bind in Health Care

(From Paget) liable for the injured fishermen’s health care benefits. CREW MEMBERS should also consider their need for health insurance now that they are not protected by the PHS. Even if they are injured onboard and the captain is required to provide compensation, this compensation may be inadequate to cover present expensive hospital treatment and also provide for their families. Private health insurance programs will also pro.vide coverage for accidents or diseases that occuf while they are on shore. What kind of health insurance should fisherpien buy? When investigating health insurance the fishermen should consider three variablfes: cost, coverage and ser-

vice.

COST WILL probably be the primary concern of fishermen. With present high operating' costs and lower fish prices, fisherman may be reluctant to increase the dbst of their insurance coverage. But this coverage should be considered a necessity to cover their future health care needs Cost will vary widely with company and policy benefits. Careful consideration of cost is necessary to have adequate coverage and to avoid the needless expense of over-insuring. Coverage or policy benefits determine the medical treatment expenses that will be paid. Coverage options make it possible to tailor a policy to your specific needs. Accepting high deductible costs, in most cases, will be a sensible way of reducing annual premiums. THE SERVICE PROVIDED by a policy refers to institutions where care expenses will be covered. This may have a major significance for fishermen who travel widely in the Mid-Atlantic region and may have to obtain care in a foreign port. The company’s share of benefit coverage may be reduced at non-participating hospitals. Costs, coverage, and service will ^ary from company to company and it requires careful shopping to select an adequate policy. A final consideration includes selecting individual or group insurance. Individual insurance can be tailored to a fishermen’s specific needs while group insurance can result in lower premium rates. OWNER-OPERATORS can also reduce onboard health risks by reviewing the existing medical problems of crew members and by familiarizing crew members with emergency medical procedures. Adoption of these practices by the fishing industry can result in lower health care premiums for the industry. Arc there specific programs designed to provide coverage for fishermen? Several fishermen organizations offer group health insurance coverage for their members. Examples of these groups include the N?w Jersey Farm Bureau. Maryland*Watermen's Association, and the Massachusetts Lobstermen's Associa-

tion.

FISHERMEN should contact these groups for more information on their programs. Fishermen should also discuss their health care needs with their insurance agent and with the associations

providing group coverage for fishermen. For more information on selecting health insurance, contact the Marine Advisory Service’s Extension Agent (4&5-5115) for a copy of the Health Insurance Association of America’s booklet entitled. What You Should Know About Health Insurance. Stewart M. Tweed of Cape May Is the Marine Extension Agent serving Cape

May County.

Burdette Tomlin Hospital will break ground in the spring for construction of a five-story" patient tower" as part of a $33 million expansion and modernization. To acquaint readers with this most ambitious public service construction project in the county's history and to coincide with a $1.5 million public fund drive, a series of capsulized questions and answers will appear periodically: Hospital Capsule Q. What are some of the specific problems Experienced at the only hospital in the county? A. The existing patient nursing units are outdated, cramped and inefficient. Furthermore, patients are frequently subjected to lack of, privacy, particularly during over-flow conditions when patient beds must be placed in solariums and even hallways. The total number of patient beds in Burdette isn’t adequate to meet the population demands. Most of the existing patient rooms were constructed prior to 1973. Codes cend standards determinigsize and design of facilities have changed drastically since the hospital opened 30 years ago.

Trolleys Touted CAPE MAY —. Proposals for “trackless trolleys" to carry visitors from city parking lots to the beachfront were requested by City Council last week in an effort to have the system in operation before next summer. Officials here hope the trolley system will Encourage-visitors to park their cars in remote areas of th* city and use the trolleys for inner city travel. The system will be run by a franchiser—requiring no cost to city taxpayers. There are already fotir potential bidder^.

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